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In early February we enjoyed the carnival days just prior to Ash Wednesday, a special time throughout all Portugal. Besides parades and festivities, people enjoyed dressing up in costumes. On the Friday prior to Ash Wednesday, Lagos had a big children�s parade. Groups of school children, all dressed-up in different themes, paraded around the main avenue. Tuesday, being a holiday and the day before Lent, many more parades and festivities took place around the Algarve. The biggest one occurred in Loule, but it was too far away for us to attend. So instead, we hopped a bus and enjoyed the parade next-door in the village of Odiaxere. Set amidst a provincial backdrop, this parade of about eight floats was quite entertaining. Each time the floats traveled around the same few streets in the village, more people would join in the parade. Everyone was definitely having a good time.

With our wintering in Lagos, we really enjoyed two cultures. Besides the Portuguese culture, we had a taste of the British culture. With quite a few of our fellow cruisers being British, we enjoyed watching the game of Rugby Football at one of the local pubs during the Six Nation Championship. The six nations consisted of England, Wales, Ireland, Scotland, France, and Italy, and the games were played throughout the two months of February and March. On our pontoon we had people from England, Wales, and Ireland, and what fun it was to watch the rivalry. Wales won the Championship with a Grand Slam victory on March 19, and the memory of the singing of Welsh songs in that local pub after the victory will linger long afterwards with us. Another custom shared with us by our fellow British cruisers was that occurring the day before Lent. Known as Shrove Tuesday, or Pancake Tuesday, we were treated to some pancakes by one of the boats. This custom came from housewives down through the centuries wanting to clear out their pantries before the fast of Lent.

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